The announcement ofProject Centuryat The Game Awards was one of the most surprising parts of the event, with Ryu Ga Gotoku demonstrating a remarkable work-rate in terms of the frequency in which it can develop high-quality projects. The recently showcased game seems like one of the most ambitious projects the studio has taken on in quite some time, with its setting, gameplay, and themes being quite far removed from many modernLike a Dragonprojects.
While the announcement ofProject Centurydefinitely caught the attention of fans, many of its most important details are still unknown, with a huge question mark currently existing over whether the game will belong to the studio’s flagshipLike a Dragonfranchise. Players only have the brief reveal trailer forProject Centuryto help debate this fact, with it seeming just as likely thatProject Centurycould be a completely new IP, in what would be quite an ambitious move for Ryu Ga Gotoku.
Project Century Seems Like a Bold New Venture For Ryu Ga Gotoku
Fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku and theLike a Dragon/Yakuzafranchise have had non-stop content to look forward to recently, with a huge amount of anticipation building aroundthe upcoming February release ofLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which will finally see beloved franchise character Goro Majima once again take on a protagonist role for the series. This alone impressed fans due to the expansive mainlineInfinite Wealthonly having been released in January of this year, and Ryu Ga Gotoku took this a step further at The Game Awards by announcing two other upcoming projects.
Alongsidethe reveal of a brand-newVirtua Fightertitle, Ryu Ga Gotoku shocked the industry by offering a sneak peek atProject Century,a gritty open-world experience set in 1915 Japan. Adopting the same third-person perspective as allLike a Dragontitles, the trailer forProject Centuryshowcased the game’s hardened protagonist patrolling the dangerous industrial streets of turn-of-the-century Japan, in what appears to be an exaggerated and almost alternate history gameworld.
One of the main elements ofProject Centurythat immediately sets it apart fromthe modern identity of theLike a Dragonfranchiseis its gritty and brutal gameplay, with the trailer detailing gore-filled combat in which the protagonist hacks and slashes using weapons and the environment to kill his enemies. This is a big departure from a lot of the cutesy JRPG gameplay elements of modern mainlineLaDtitles, but there is still a case to be made thatProject Centurycould be a spin-off title for the franchise.
Project Century’s Vision Seems To Go Beyond Like a Dragon
Pastfranchise spin-offs likeIshinhave explored historical settings such as Feudal Japan, with theJudgmentseries of games also possessing a much grittier, albeit not as directly bloody, set of themes that are echoed inProject Century. Spin-offs like this have been a great way to supplement the main story ofLike a Dragonfor some time now, with some fans suggesting thatProject Centurycould be an origin story showcasing the formation of the franchise’s powerful Omi Alliance, which was founded around the time in whichCenturyis set. Fans were also quick to note the similarities betweenCentury’s protagonist andJudgment’s lead character, Takayuki Yagami, withCenturymaybe being an alternate-history project for theJudgmentcast likeIshinwas for the originalYakuzacharacters.
It seems extremely unlikely thatProject Centurywill belong toLike a Dragon’s mainline storyin any massive capacity, with the game better fitting the bill of a spin-off. With that being said, the lack of any reference to theLike a Dragonfranchise in the game’s trailer seems like a massive hint towards Ryu Ga Gotoku’s intentions with the game. Considering the unique setting and gameworld ofProject Century, as well as its protagonist’s lack of hesitation behind killing, all signs seem to point towardsProject Centurybeing a standalone experience removed from theLike a Dragonworld.
